Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) new centre for enterprise and innovation has become the latest higher education facility in the UK to feature state-of-the-art cladding panels from Proteus Facades. With higher education providers realising that the design, amenities and external aesthetics of campus buildings are just as important as the courses and educational services on offer to students, specifiers are making more use of alternatives to traditional bricks and mortar. It is one of the reasons why architects specified contemporary mirror finish and mesh cladding from Proteus Facades for the state-of-the-art new £9 million Dryden Enterprise Centre (DEC) at NTU. Designed by architects Evans Vettori and constructed by main contractor Henry Brothers, the DEC provides staff, students, graduates and external businesses with increased access to a range of high-class facilities, as well as support, mentoring, networking and training services. The new building has been developed alongside the existing Dryden Centre, a cube-like structure built on campus in 1976 that has undergone extensive refurbishment as part of the development. The new extension connects to the north end of the refurbished structure, both of which have been designed to accommodate University start-ups and spin-outs and attract external businesses looking for high-quality workspaces and support. Proteus Facades manufactured bespoke Proteus SC Aluminium 3mm Aluminium PPC Carina expanded mesh and Proteus HR 0.8mm Rimex Super Mirror 316 Stainless Steel rainscreen soffit panels for the refurbished and new structures respectively. Proteus SC is an engineered panel system that is offered in either solid, perforated or mesh panel formats. By utilising an extensive range of metals, colours, textures and forms it can add another dimension to any façade cladding project. The system can be manufactured between 1mm and 5mm in thickness and an acoustic insulation layer encapsulated within the panel. The Proteus SC panels at the DEC were specified with a PPC Pearl Beige (RAL 1035) finish and feature on the external façade of the 1970’s cube-like structure. Compartmentalising the brick-work at eye-level, the mesh cladding features in vertical sections reaching from the ground to the upper floors and then wrap around the entirety of the top level. The panels were chosen to soften the block-like appearance of the refurbished structure and complement the elegant pearl, brick and glazed sections on the façade of the new development. Proteus HR soffit panels in Rimex Super mirror finish feature on the underside of four of the first and third floor cantilevers, reaching over the main entrance and upper terraces. The mirrored cladding from Proteus was specified due to its honeycomb core creating an optically flat panel that portrays a high quality surface aesthetic. The finish also has the effect of reflecting artificial lighting from within the building and natural light from outside onto the floors below. It achieves what the architects set out to do and that is illuminate what may have otherwise been a deeply shaded area of the building. Proteus HR was also specified because it is a lightweight, strong and versatile cladding panel. The integrated modular rainscreen panels feature an aluminium honeycomb core, structurally bonded between two thin gauges of lightweight metal skin for optimum rigidity. Installed by Elhance Limited, both the Proteus SC and HR panels at the DEC are secured in place using a bespoke aluminium fixing system, also manufactured by Proteus Facades. It can be installed on to any type of wall construction and allows the panels to be secured in place with no visible fixings, creating a sheer, uninterrupted aesthetic. The £9m Dryden Enterprise Centre (DEC) is set over four floors utilising the latest technology and modern facilities including open-plan desk areas, private offices, meeting rooms, event space and communal areas to encourage networking. Proteus Facades’ innovative rainscreen cladding panels utilise an extensive range of materials such as Aluminium, Copper, Bronze, Brass, Stainless Steel, Zinc and Porcelain Ceramic. Each system is manufactured to internationally recognised quality standards, using the highest quality materials, in accordance with its BSI ISO accredited Business Management System for Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety. For further information about the wide range of rainscreen cladding systems available from Proteus Facades or to view more inspirational projects, visit: www.proteusfacades.com or call: 0151 545 5075.

The former Ottakar’s bookstore in High Wycombe has been given a new lease of life and brought back to its former glory as a pillar of the town centre, through a state-of-the-art regeneration project featuring bespoke cladding panels from Proteus Facades. The Proteus SC cladding panels are arranged in a striking half-hexagon design that appears to float outward from the main structure. The 6 metrehigh façade, where the panels themselves are embellished by intricately designed, leaf-shaped perforations, has the ability to stop people in their tracks while they gaze at the intriguing, shimmering aesthetic. Prior to the refurbishment, the original building, which once stood proud on the corner of Queens Square fell into disrepair after being left unattended by its previous owner for quite some time.  In 2019 however, as part of an ongoing initiative to acquire, regenerate and re-let vacant shops to independent businesses, Wycombe District Council purchased the building and invested in a state-of-the-art refurbishment project. This included a complete redesign of the interior and an external upgrade to improve aesthetics and add more versatility to the town centre.  During the initial stages of the redevelopment, main contractors, Abbeymead Building Ltd. found that the glazing to the upper levels would need replacing, along with limited structural support positions where the perforated cladding could connect. This resulted in a complete redesign of this section, with full replacement of the windows and the spanning solution of the Proteus SC, lightweight perforated anodised aluminium panels, manufactured by Proteus Facades. Proteus SC is an engineered panel system that is offered in either solid, perforated or mesh panel formats. By utilising an extensive range of metals, colours, textures and forms it can add another dimension to any façade cladding project. The system can be manufactured between 1mm and 5mm in thickness and an acoustic insulation layer encapsulated within the panel. Installed by J & PW Developments Ltd,the Proteus SC panels at White Hart Street, were fabricated from a 3mm J57Up aluminium alloy with a brush polished, mirror effect finish, anodised to Anolok 543. The bespoke laser-cut leaf pattern on the panels, visible both inside and out, also provides further visual appeal to the façade, offering a delicately designed brise soleil within and a striking external aesthetic for passers-by. Each Proteus SC panel is secured in place using a bespoke aluminium support system, also manufactured by Proteus Facades, with a matching anodised coating. The brackets are fixed back to the original structure with a 200mm x 50mm aluminium extrusion at panel joints, spanning approximately 3700mm between the floor and slabs, and with 1100mm cantilevered upper and lower sections. Further external works carried out during the redevelopment, completed in December 2020, include replacement of the flat roof and installation of a new shopfront set back from the pavement to create a covered seating area. Internally, the building has been completely restructured to offer a ground floor space ideal for use as a restaurant and shops, along with first floor studio-style offices. All of which have great potential to attract some of High Wycombe’s up and coming businesses, which in turn is expected to boost footfall and improve the overall experience for visitors to the town. For further information about Proteus SC or to view more inspirational rainscreen facades from Proteus Facades, visit: www.proteusfacades.com or call: 0151 545 5075.